Cheer fundraising ideas for every point in your season

The best cheer fundraising ideas aren’t just about what you do. They’re about when you do it. From registration and camp to competition fees and travel to Nationals, you generally know what’s coming, even if the routines change along the way.

We’ve grouped fundraising ideas for cheer teams into a four-phase schedule that matches each fundraiser to the point in the season when costs come due.

Key Takeaway: Cheer costs add up fast. USA Cheer estimates that expenses for a 32-athlete national cheer team can total $30,000. A little strategy can go a long way when you’re planning cheer fundraisers. 

• Start pre-season with a Fill My Bow fundraiser, or local business sponsorships to help cover registration and camp. 

• At season kickoff, make an online product fundraiser your bigger fundraiser for season expenses. 

• At mid-season, try a youth clinic, restaurant night, or showcase to help with mid-season costs. 

• Late in the season, a short online campaign gives supporters a way to contribute if your team qualifies for Nationals or Summit.

A four-phase fundraising schedule for cheer

Your fundraising needs can be as diverse as your cheer routines. Breaking the season into four phases can help you focus, so you can choose the right fundraiser at the right time.

Phase 1: Pre-season 

Pre-season costs start before the first practice. For school teams, it’s registration, uniforms, and other early-season costs. For All Star Cheer, it’s choreography, music, and early competition fees.  

One low-friction option is to start a Fill My Bow cheer fundraiser. Each cheerleader gets a paper or digital bow divided into sections, each with a donation amount assigned. Supporters pick a section and donate that amount, and the cheerleader marks it as filled until the entire bow is full. That way, each athlete has a clear fundraising goal and a visual way to see their progress as the bow fills up. Fill My Bow fundraisers typically run for 3 to 4 weeks. 

Local business sponsorships into the mix. A restaurant, salon, or other neighborhood business can sponsor your team in exchange for getting its name in front of your cheer community. For a school or sideline squad, that might mean putting the sponsor’s logo on a banner at home games or an ad in the season program. All Star teams can recognize local business sponsors in a thank you post on your team’s social media.

Phase 2: Fundraising ideas for season kickoff

At season kickoff, the team is buzzing and routines are taking shape. With your team’s energy still high, this is a great time to put that momentum behind one of your best cheer fundraisers.

An online product fundraiser is really effective at this point in the season, because it can cover season-long expenses. Depending on how your organization uses the funds, these types of individual cheer fundraisers may also help individual athletes cover their own costs. 

In online fundraisers, buy products like popcorn from your team's online store, the fundraising company ships products straight to them, and a portion of every sale goes to your team. There’s nothing to order ahead of time, store, or hand out, unlike traditional product fundraisers. 

Spirit gear is another fun way to tap into early-season excitement, with personalized merch that athletes, families, and fans can show off all season. You and your team choose what they want to sell, from T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other team swag. 

Phase 3: Mid-season fundraising ideas

Travel plans, team meals, and final deposits all come into play by mid-season. Good cheer fundraisers for this point in the season are easy to plan in advance, build on things your team’s already doing, work around your competition schedule.

Host a youth cheer clinic, where younger kids pay a registration fee to learn cheer basics like jumps, motions, and beginner stunts from your team. You could also host a cheer showcase, where your team performs its routines for friends, family, and the community. Ticket sales can go toward mid-season needs.

Phase 4: Late-season ideas

By late season, there may still be final competition fees and travel costs for big meets. When you’re looking for ideas for cheer fundraisers at this point, think quick, personal, and tied to a specific need. If your team qualifies for Nationals or Summit, reach out directly to family and past supporters and let them know what you’re raising for. A short online campaign can help cover bigger costs like travel, while an online wish list gives supporters a way to contribute specific competition essentials, from safety pins and water bottles to hair ties and snacks.